What do an accountant, national account manager and Merle Norman associate all have in common? They love fashion. So much so that they’ve combined forces to open up their own boutique in Historic Downtown Plant City.
Carole Wright, Tara Smith and Diane Mueller celebrated last week the grand opening of Uptown Girls Boutique, located at 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 300.
A brilliant Tiffany blue ties in their Parisian motif. The Eiffel Tower is whimsically painted on the back wall by friend and artist Mar Harrer. The store carries women’s apparel, shoes, jewelry, purses, hats and sunglasses. The merchandise ranges from brand new products to upscale consignment. Because of the mix, prices can range from $10 to $300.
“What we try to do is to pick out things that are unique and one-of-a-kind,” Smith says.
The store’s racks are full of chiffon dresses, lace tops and designer jeans. Bright chevron prints, large gold zippers and oversized pleated sleeves are just some of the hot trends integrated into the clothing.
The idea to start a store has always been a dream for the trio. When they went last year to Atlanta, to look at clothing and accessories, they decided now was the perfect time to turn the dream into a reality.
Wright was a huge advocate for having the store downtown. Her office is also downtown, and she finds the area to be ideal for shopping.
“I love being downtown,” Wright says. “It’s growing, and it’s changing. It’s getting better. We’re excited about being involved with the Downtown Merchants Association.”
“I’m most excited about doing it,” Mueller says. “I’m a workaholic. I love fashion like the rest of them. And it will be fun interacting with customers that come in.”
To tap into the community, Uptown Girls Boutique will be holding monthly events for their best shoppers and partners. The first one will be Oct. 24. Smith is in charge for promoting the store’s events.
“I’m most looking forward to working as a team,” Smith says.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
BASICS
Uptown Girls Boutique
ADDRESS: 110 E. Reynolds St. Suite 300
PHONE: (813) 391-7684
EMAIL: uptowngirlspc@gmail.com
INFO: Consignment by appointment only. Call the store or Tara, (813) 756-6901.